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SINGAPORE: Starting next Wednesday (October 7), 19 mosques in Singapore will open 50 more spaces for daily congregational prayers, as part of plans for progressive reopening amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
The increase in available spaces from 50 to 100 worshipers is to “meet the demand of the parishioners in these mosques,” the Singapore Islamic Religious Council (MUIS) said on Wednesday (September 30).
READ: COVID-19: 12 Faith-Based Organizations May Serve Up To 100 People As Part Of Pilot Program
The mosques that allow 100 people for all daily congregational prayers are as follows:
- Masjid Al-Istighfar
- Darul Ghufran Mosque
- Assyafaah Mosque
- Masjid Darul Makmur
- Masjid Angullia
- Sultan mosque
- Masjid Al-Khair
- Al-Mukminin Mosque
- Ar-Raudhah Mosque
- Assyakirin Mosque
- Hasanah Mosque
- Masjid Maarof
Mosque allowing 100 people for Zuhur, Asar, Maghrib, Isyak prayers:
Mosques that allow 100 people for Subuh, Maghrib, Isyak prayers:
- Masjid Al-Islah
- Masjid Al-Mawaddah
- Masjid An-Nur
- Yusuf Ishak Mosque
- Masjid Al-Iman
Mosque allowing 100 people for Maghrib and Isyak prayers:
- Kampung Alkaff Mosque
Starting in October, 15,225 spaces will be offered for Friday prayers in 64 mosques in Singapore, MUIS said.
“MUIS eventually aims to gradually increase the number of prayer spaces to 30,000 spaces each week,” the council added.
This will allow parishioners to reserve a space for Friday prayer every four to five weeks. To achieve this, some mosques will be piloted with capacity for 250 congregants in five zones.
When the online booking system for Friday prayers was first introduced in June, repeat bookings were only allowed after seven weeks.
MUIS also announced that beginning on October 16, Friday prayer times will be adjusted. The new schedules are as follows:
Session 1: 12:45 to 13:15
Session 2: 1:45 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.
Session 3: 14:45 to 15:15
“Those who cannot get a space for Friday prayers have the flexibility to replace the Friday prayer with the Zuhur prayer and are encouraged to tune in to SalamSG TV and other online platforms to listen to the Friday sermon,” MUIS said. .
“The Fatwa committee is also very carefully exploring and examining all options, based on our religious principles and values, to see if other adaptations to our religious lives and practices are needed,” he added.
Singapore reported 23 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, including three community cases, all of which are holders of work passes.
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